Beiersdorf tackles beauty chain carbon emissions with green product transformations

06 Jun 2023 --- Beiersdorf has unveiled Nivea Sun and Nivea Lip Care with a reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint following World Environment Day yesterday. The company also issued a progress report on the implementation of its “Climate Care” initiative, zeroing in on specific sustainable product transformations.

Beiersdorf’s developments follow last year’s green innovations around Nivea Shower lightweight bottle and Nivea Soft “more climate-friendly” formula – both reporting significant CO2 emission reductions Additionally, the company highlights new refill jar for the Hyaluron-Filler range, supporting packaging waste reduction.

“We have set one of the most ambitious climate targets of our industry and I am proud that we are progressing. At the end of 2022, we achieved a 17% absolute CO2 reduction and our strong efforts on product-level are a key contributor to this great success,” shares Jean-François Pascal, VP of corporate sustainability at Beiersdorf.

Tackling CO2 in the beauty chain
Beiersdorf aims to achieve a 30% absolute reduction of CO2 emissions across the entire value chain (scope 1, 2 and 3) by 2025 (versus base year 2018).

Beiersdorf released new refillable packaging for its Hyaluron Filler Day and Night Cream (Image credit: Beiersdorf).To achieve its environmental sustainability goals, Beiersdorf is collaborating with its suppliers and reworking products and assortments of its global brands – on the formula and packaging level.

“We are working intensively to transform all our existing products toward sustainability. We strive to combine our skin care benefits and superior product performance for our consumers with adding sustainability aspects,” says Dr. Gitta Neufang, corporate SVP of global R&D at Beiersdorf.

Nivea Sun reworks packaging and formula
Beiersdorf’s Nivea Sun assortment has been optimized “intensively” – in terms of packaging and formula – and is available on the market this season with a reworked portfolio.

For the Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture range the bottles, blue caps and yellow trigger pumps now include 50% recycled material. This ties into Beiersdorf’s plastic pledge that aims to halve the use of fossil-based virgin plastic by 2025 and foster the circular use of materials.

The company claims the formulas of the whole Nivea Sun range have also been improved in terms of eco-consciousness, as the UV filters octinoxate and oxybenzone – found by some studies to pose potential harm on coral reefs and the health of developing human fetuses – have been eliminated.

Eucerin introduces innovative refill jar
Beiersdorf’s second largest global brand Eucerin recently launched a new, sustainable packaging alternative for its Hyaluron Filler Day and Night Cream.

The new refill concept for this anti-age bestseller only needs 8 g instead of 89 g of plastic, which corresponds to saving around 90% of plastic when consumers keep the outer jar and lid, while purchasing just the inner jar as a refill. 

Nivea reintroduced its sun and lip care products with reduced carbon emissions footprint (Image credit: Nivea).Beiersdorf claims this can potentially deliver an annual saving of around 24 metric tons of plastic. Also, the folding box of the product is made of around 92% recycled paper.

“At Eucerin we work continuously to combine the highest level of product efficacy with a minimum impact on the environment,” says Wiebke Maerker-Scheel, global associate director of sustainability derma.

“Due to the enormous plastic savings, our Eucerin refill jar represents a milestone in our ambitious sustainability journey. It significantly contributes to our targets to reduce plastic consumption and CO2 emissions.”

Refillable packaging is evidently gaining traction as brands are continuing to cut back on their plastic use. The Body Shop US recently announced plans to accelerate refillability by including makeup products in its “refill revolution.” The new collection introduced Peptalk Lipstick in a refillable case made from 100% recycled aluminum.

Last February, Unilever’s Dove Canada launched a refillable case made from stainless steel for its range of deodorants. Dove Refillable Deodorant is created to be “refilled for life.”

A PackagingInsights report recently shed light on the specific cost and emissions savings companies stand to gain from ditching single use containers, outlining significant benefits.

Beiersdorf business developments
Earlier this month, Beiersdorf began producing the first cosmetic product lines for deodorants, hairsprays and shaving foam of its Nivea, 8x4 and Hidrofugal brands at its new plant in Leipzig, Germany.

Last December, Beiersdorf acquired Belgian life-science company S-Biomedic, strengthening its portfolio of acne treatments developed through skin microbiome research.

The company also opened an innovation center in New Jersey and relocated its headquarters to Connecticut, US, to further its global R&D strategy and presence in North America while developing therapeutic skincare products.

In other developments, Beiersdorf and Natracare stressed the importance of regulatory pressures for industry changes, as the European Commission initiated a polluter-pay scheme to ramp up the rules for ambient air, surface and groundwater pollutants and wastewater treatment.

Edited by Benjamin Ferrer